April 6, 2007
Garner prison expands video surveillance system
Measuring in at a whopping 245,000 square feet, the Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, Conn. is a high-security prison that currently holds somewhere in the neighborhood of 550 male prisoners. 367 of those prisoners are listed as mental health inmates (which the facility specializes in treating). In order to more effectively monitor the premises, the prison's surveillance system was recently upgraded with additional cameras and new digital equipment.
Garner's original surveillance system utilized 162 analog cameras which recorded black and white video footage to VHS cassette tapes. The new system brings the number of cameras up to 230 and incorporates new technology that allows for full color video footage to be stored digitally and burned onto DVDs for archiving and future viewing. In scouring for images of specific prison incidents, it's much more effective and efficient for police investigators to search through the digital files than the cumbersome analog tapes used previously. Additionally, all of the new cameras are digital.
Early reports on the upgraded system reveal that State Department of Correction (DOC) staffers are finding it much easier to monitor the activities of Garner inmates. The cameras provide thorough surveillance of common areas such as cellblocks, recreational areas, and corridors. The prisoners' cells however are considered private areas and are not monitored by security cameras.
Garner's new system came with a $300,000 price tag and brings the prison up to speed with other DOC prisons in the state which use similar surveillance technology.
Posted by Dan on April 6, 2007 9:12 PM | Comments (0)
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